This invention relates to a stackable commode chair that is comfortable for the user and that can be used by hospital patients, disabled persons, invalids, and elderly persons. More particularly, the invention is directed to an integrally molded unitary stackable commode chair that is made of lightweight plastic yet is durable, safe, and easily stacked for storage and shipping.
The special needs of disabled and elderly persons for a safe, durable, comfortable and convenient toilet seating apparatus or commode chair have been known for a long time. In particular, typically the person who is going to use the chair is helped to the seat or is in a weakened condition, thus it is not unusual for that person to be dropped or to drop onto the seat. Thus, the seat of the commode chair must be able to withstand the repetitive stress caused by such dropping forces without breaking.
At the same time, it is well known that disabled and elderly persons may be required to sit in the commode chair for extended periods of time because they are not well attended or for physical reasons such as constipation and the like. Thus, the chair seat should also be somewhat resilient and designed for comfort. Existing commode chairs, however, are not comfortable when the person must sit on the chair for an extended period of time because most of the body weight is typically supported under the ischial tuberosities when seated.
Many commode chairs previously known have been designed with side arms or support rails which swing away from the seat or drop downwardly. In such devices, the arms are unstable and may cause the person to feel insecure due to the excessive wobble in the armrests. Any instability or insecurity is not only dangerous to, but also produces considerable discomfort for, the invalid, disabled or elderly person who is using the device.
Accordingly, the chair should provide a feeling of stability yet be easy to use. The design should enable the person using the chair to easily sit on the chair and to get up from it. Thus, the armrests which are used for support during these actions should be designed to accommodate the user in this regard as well.
Undoubtedly the chair will become soiled with fecal matter particularly because the individuals using such chairs may be incontinent. Unfortunately, an additional shortcoming of many existing commode chairs is that they are difficult to clean and maintain in a sanitary condition because they consist of many small parts, crevices and contain metal parts that can rust and become very difficult to clean.
Accordingly, a chair which solves these problems yet is easily manufactured and shipped is desired. Due to transportation cost reasons, it is desirable to ship as many commode chairs in a single load as possible. Thus, the commode chairs should be stackable such that two or more chairs can be stacked, one on top of another, to produce as small a height as possible.